George Russel believes that he is now more "complete" and "confident" as a racer, and feels ready to compete for the world championship. The British racer secured his fifth F1 win in a dominant display at the recently concluded Singapore Grand Prix.
Russell led the Singapore GP from the word go, as he managed to defend himself against any challenges from Max Verstappen on the race start. The 27-year-old then went off into the distance and never looked back, securing the victory for Mercedes at the Marina Bay circuit.
Opening up on his second victory of the 2025 season in the post-race press conference on Sunday, Russell explained that he felt he was now a different racer than he was before. He said, via FIA.com:
"This track has not been my best friend over the years, and that’s often been through my own doing. But I’m a very different driver today to the one I was a couple of years ago, and I feel more complete, more confident. I know exactly what I need to do in given circumstances.
"Of course, I was nervous before the race as you’d expect, but I didn’t feel any additional nerves or any additional pressure. It just felt like another race, and I knew I had a chance to win, and I felt comfortable with that.”
Russell also shared that he was prepared for the obstacles of fighting for a world championship.
"So, you know, I’ve said it for a while - I feel ready to fight for a championship. I feel ready to take it to my next step."
If rumors of Mercedes' prowess in the 2026 season were to be believed, there is a big chance that George Russell will have his first chance to put a contest for a world championship next year. But first, the Silver Arrows still need to find an agreement with Russell over a new contract, who is without a deal for 2027, as things stand.